Monument record MWX3425 - Rax Lane, to the rear of 41-43 East Street, Bridport: medieval town ditch

Part of the 13th-century Town ditch was found during a watching brief to the south of Rax Lane, to the rear of 41 and 43 East Street, Bridport. This large ditch runs just to the south of and roughly parallel to Rax Lane. It appears to have silted up slowly, apparently not being completely filled before the 18th century. It remained as a boundary feature until the late 18th century.

Part of the 13th century town ditch was revealed during a watching brief to the rear of 41 and 43 East Street, Bridport, undertaken by Terrain Archaeology in 1999. A full profile of the ditch was not obtained, but sufficient of it was observed to be able to reconstruct its size, shape and orientation. It ran roughly E-W approximately along the same orientation as Rax Lane. The northern edge of the ditch was just to the south of Rax Lane. It was about seven metres wide and 2.4m deep with steeply sloping sides (the northern side steeper than the southern side) and a rounded narrow base. This ditch apparently was allowed to silt up naturally over a long period of time and appears to have only lost its boundary function in the late 18th/early 19th century. The lowest layers of silt were charcoal-rich and contained some building rubble and some 12th century pottery. A single sherd of late 17th/18th century pottery was recovered from the top of the ditch. This ditch has a terminus post quem of the 12th century AD, which accords quite well with the documentary evidence which first mentions the ditch in the mid 13th century. (1) (2) (3)

<1> Bellamy, P S, 2005, 'Bridport's 13th-century defences: Archaeological Observations to the rear of 41 and 43 East Street, Bridport' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 59-66 (Article in serial). SDO10488.

<2> Bellamy, P, 1999, Rax Lane, Bridport, Dorset: Archaeological Observations (Unpublished document). SWX8594.

<3> Terrain Archaeology, 2000, Rax Lane, Bridport, Dorset: Archaeological Observations (Unpublished document). SWX8610.

Record last edited

Feb 16 2011 8:37AM